


Let It Go

by tothestarswholisten



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-03
Updated: 2017-09-03
Packaged: 2018-12-23 06:13:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11983842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tothestarswholisten/pseuds/tothestarswholisten
Summary: Charming picks up Henry for school one morning and notices Regina isn't acting like herself. He calls Emma, since the two women are best friends, and Emma becomes concerned. What happens when she gets to the root of the problem?





	1. Chasing Shadows

Regina had been walking down the streets of Storybrooke headed towards her office. She had been trying, per Henry's request, to reduce her carbon footprint. So she was walking to work.

Henry had been ushered off to school early that morning by Charming, promising Regina that he'd see Henry off safely. When the woman didn't protest, Charming called Emma after Henry was out of the truck and walking towards the school.

Emma had gotten the call and was utterly perplexed by it. Normally, Regina didn't even like her taking Henry to school, and she was the kid's mother! Her not putting up a fight with Charming raised serious alarm bells.

She spotted the brunette walking down the street, and shouted, "Regina wait up!"

Regina looked up from the sidewalk at the noise, knowing it was Emma. She didn't spare the woman more than a passing glance.

The blonde hurried to catch up with the Mayor, intent on finding out what was going in with the woman. "Hey," she said breathless, "can we talk?"

The older woman shrugged and kept her head down, not really wanting to talk.

"What happened this morning when my dad came to pick up Henry?" Emma asked, coming into step with her friend.

"Nothing."

"Yeah, that's what he had said. No argument about him taking Henry to school, no griping about how he's your son, none of that. So I'll ask you again," Emma walked in front of Regina, now getting in her way, "what happened?"

"What happens in my personal life Sheriff is none of your concern. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a town to run."

Regina practically ran into town hall, far away from Emma. The blonde knew she had to figure out what was wrong with Regina. It was such a sudden change, it had her worried.

She picked up Henry that afternoon and since it was her day to have him, took him to the park.

"Henry I need to ask you something."

"What's up Ma?"

"Has your mom ever just, gotten sad out of nowhere before? When before she had seemed totally fine? It's like a switch flipped and I don't know how to help her."

Henry swung on his swing next to Emma and looked at her curiously. "Has mom never told you about her Eeyore/Tigger days?"

"Her what?" Emma asked confused. What did Winnie the Pooh characters have to do with Regina?

"When she has Eeyore days you can usually tell, she gets really sad. She kinda stops living. She doesn't want to do very much, usually she lets me walk to school on days like these. 

"Her Tigger days are much better. Before I brought you here, mom used to let me play hookey some days. We'd skip school and sit by the water, go for long walks through the woods. On those days, she'd take me out for ice cream before dinner. It was great."

"Henry, how long do these Eeyore and Tigger days last for usually?"

Henry thought about it carefully before answering, "Well, usually her Eeyore days are pretty frequent. She's good at hiding it though. Her Tigger days.. they're few and far between, even when I was growing up."

Emma nodded digesting the words. What Henry was describing, it sounded a lot like bipolar disorder. But Regina would tell her if she was dealing with something that serious. Right?

Henry stopped his swing and looked at his blonde mother, "She's having Eeyore days and it scares you."

"Of course it does kid. This isn't something to mess with."

"Ma.. d do you have Eeyore and Tigger days too?"

She looked to her son and saw the worry there in his eyes, the same worry she felt for Regina. She smiled just a little sadly, "No Henry, I don't. But I do have depression. It's not exactly like what your mom deals with but it's similar to her Eeyore days. Only typically, there's no stop for them."

"Oh."

Emma moved from her swing to stand in front of her son's, "How about tonight I bring dinner over and I talk to your mom and see if she can explain a little bit more about her Eeyore an Tigger days, okay?"

Henry wrapped his arms around his birth mother, "Thank you."

XX

It was surprisingly easy for Emma to convince Regina to agree to a family dinner just the three of them. Emma had posed it as Henry had some questions and he wanted both his mother's there when he asked them. Technically, Emma hadn't lied.

Henry was currently up in his room playing video games while Regina and Emma waited for the pizza to arrive. They sat silently in the kitchen until Emma spoke. "Henry told me about your Eeyore and Tigger days. He's worried about you," she waited a beat, "so am I."

"I'm fine Miss Swan."

"Really? Because the Regina I know and.. well the Regina I know doesn't keep things from her son. Or me."

"Who says I'm doing either?"

"You never told Henry what exactly your Eeyore and Tigger days actually are, and you never even told me you had bipolar. That hurt, I tell you everything. Even the things I'm scared to say."

"Emma, I explained that to Henry when he was three years old and he asked me why I was so sad one say and happy the next. He has not asked in eleven years for clarification."

"He's asking now Regina."

The brunette but her lip. She had never talked to anyone but Archie about her illness, had never deemed herself worthy of anyone's worry. Especially her son's. Apparently Emma's too if the way she was being looks at was any indication. The doorbell rang just then, and as Regina walked out of the kitchen to get the door she turned to Emma and spoke softly, "We'll tell him after dinner."


	2. Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charming picks up Henry for school one morning and notices Regina isn't acting like herself. He calls Emma, since the two women are best friends, and Emma becomes concerned. What happens when she gets to the root of the problem?

Dinner was tense. Henry's eyes kept darting between his mother's as he noticed just how close they were sitting to one another. Unknown to their son, Emma's hand was squeezing Regina’s every few seconds for comfort.

After dinner Henry cleared the table of the plates they used while Emma disposed of the pizza box, leaving Regina alone with her thoughts. ‘How am I ever supposed to tell him and Emma exactly what's wrong with me?’

The thought was resounding as both Emma and Henry walked back into the dining room. “Let's head into the living room, okay?” Henry nodded and bolted, leaving his two mother's alone. 

“You're being so brave Regina, I am so proud of you.”

As both women walked into the room Henry looked at them expectantly, wondering who would start. “Henry, there's something I should tell you,” the brunette spoke, her voice shaking slightly, “My Eeyore and Tigger days, they have an actual name. What I experience is considered bipolar disorder, It's a type of mental illness that is actually quite common in this world.”

“It wasn't common in the Enchanted Forest?” Emma asked.

Regina shook her head, “Not at all. Most people considered anything wrong with the mind as someone was crazy. Those who spoke up about their pain were thrown into psychiatric dungeons. Or usually just left for dead.”

Henry's eyes widened and Regina tried her best to calm him down. “That won't happen here Henry, I've been seeing Doctor Hopper and he's been helping me manage my illness.”

“So if you see Archie then why do you still have Eeyore days?”

Emma could see Regina struggling with her words so she decided to step in. “Kid, basically bipolar disorder is something you live with the rest of your life. There's no cure for most mental illness diagnosis.”

Henry stopped and thought about all the information he was presented. Including the bit about his blonde mother. 

“Does your illness not hurt you as bad if you're around people you love?”  
“Sometimes. When you were growing up it helped to be near you, both on Eeyore and Tigger days. Why?”

“I think Emma should move in.”

Both Emma and Regina appeared at a loss for words. Their mouths open slightly and wide eyes were enough for Henry to keep talking. 

“See it's simple. Ma has depression, which she explained it's like your Eeyore days except they don't stop. Mom has bipolar disorder, something that is bad one day good the next. What better way to try and help you both than having everyone under the same roof?”

Both Regina and Emma had to admit, the idea had merit. Neither would ever admit that out loud though. The women looked at one another, Emma shyly and Regina just a tad guilty. 

Despite the two women having been friends for years now there were some things neither had ever told the other. Emma had loved Regina for three years now, but she'd never admit it to anyone, not even out loud to herself. 

Regina felt confused every time someone was concerned for her, something that she was conditioned to believe because of Cora. Her mother had done a number on her, and Emma barely knew the extent of it.

“Yes.”

Regina’s eyes widened, “I'm sorry, what did you just say?” Emma couldn't have said what the brunette thought she did, could she?

“I said yes. Think about it Gina, Henry has a point. Being here would likely help us both. It would also make time with Henry, and as a family, a lot easier. We'd all be under the same roof, meaning that we could have family dinners every night and alternating who took the kid to school and picking him up would be a lot easier.”

Regina had to admit, Emma's sell on the idea of her moving in was a good one. She'd love more time with Henry, and on her bad days she could lean on the blonde for support.

Yet there was still a fear Regina had deep down, and that fear was that no one had ever seen just how bad she could get on one of her Eeyore days. Once after arriving here after she cast the curse her bad days had been extreme, to the point she rarely ever left her house and opted to work from home. No one had dared challenge the Mayor, so no one ever knew there was something wrong. Even after the curse broke Regina still worked from home on some of her more difficult Eeyore days, and again no one ever challenged her on that. No one had cared about her in order to.

But here was Emma Swan. The same woman she had tried to kill on numerous occasions offering to move in with her so they could deal with their respective illnesses. Together.

“Okay, it seems I'm out voted,” Regina chuckled, “well Emma what do you say tomorrow you and I take off work and move everything in here hm?”

The Sheriff blinked twice, had Regina actually agreed to this? “Sounds good. You want me to drop off Henry at school?”

“Ma I am old enough to walk you know.”

Emma ruffled her son's hair, “Sure kid.”

Regina and Emma planned out there next day as Henry watched television, and by ten o'clock the boy was yawning. “I think I'm heading to bed, goodnight mom,” Henry said sleepily as he got up and hugged his brunette mother and then his blonde one, “goodnight Ma.”

As their teenager headed upstairs and out if sight Emma and Regina we’re left alone in the living room, completely at a loss.

“Would you like a glass of cider Emma?”

The blonde smiled, “I'd love some.”

Regina went to retrieve the alcohol from her study, leaving Emma with her thoughts. ‘I'm about to have cider with the woman I love, and move into her house. This is so surreal.’ Emma thought. 

Regina walked back in the room minutes later, holding two empty glasses and a large bottle of homemade cider. She set them on the table and poured herself and Emma a drink.

After the fourth glass Emma looked at Regina, wondering so many things but choosing to go for the safest one possible. “Will it be hard? Having me here I mean.”

The brunette considered the question before answering, “No Emma, I don't believe it will.”

“Why not?”

“Well for all the reasons you and Henry mentioned, and perhaps I like the idea of your continued company.” 

All Emma heard was Regina liked spending time with her, causing her to grin like a fool. She looked toward the clock, it was well after midnight and the blonde sighed. “I guess I should be going.”

“Emma, why don't you stay, we have the day off tomorrow anyway. We can watch a movie before we head to bed.”

The younger woman didn't want to take advantage of the situation, but since Regina was offering.. “Alright, sounds like a plan.”

Emma grabbed the remote from where Henry was sitting and handed it to the brunette. She sat on her end of the couch while Regina sat on hers, leaving the middle neutral territory. 

As Regina put on a movie, she grabbed a blanket that had been on the back of the couch and draped it over herself. She then moved to sit directly next to Emma and covered the blonde up too. “There's only one blanket and I don't want you to be cold.”

Emma nodded, trying not to show the butterflies she was starting to feel in the pit of her stomach. When Regina put her head against Emma's shoulder, the blonde took a shaky breath.

Why had she never told Regina however felt? Why didn't she do it before agreeing to move in here? 

“I like this,” the older woman whispered, knowing Emma was awake.  
“Watching movies with me?”

Regina shook her head slightly, as much as she could at least, “Not only that, but I was referring to this,” she clung to Emma tightly, wrapping her left arm around Emma's waist. 

It was quiet in the living room for a solid minute before Emma spoke, “I like this too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thank you for the reviews on the first chapter, and yes I am feeling a bit better now. I hope you guys like this chapter, and if you'd like to take a stab at some of Regina's behaviors in this chapter go right ahead. I'm curious if anyone can notice them. Happy reading!

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all. So this fic idea came to me while I was on my way to work. I based it off my own personal struggle with bipolar disorder, as currently I'm experiencing an Eeyore day. Please let me know what you think both here and Tumblr


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